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Duels and Deception by Cindy Anstey
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: April 11th 2017
Genres: Historical, Romance, Young Adult

Miss Lydia Whitfield, heiress to the family fortune, has her future entirely planned out. She will run the family estate until she marries the man of her late father’s choosing, and then she will spend the rest of her days as a devoted wife. Confident in those arrangements, Lydia has tasked her young law clerk, Mr. Robert Newton, to begin drawing up the marriage contracts. Everything is going according to plan.

Until Lydia—and Robert along with her—is kidnapped. Someone is after her fortune and won’t hesitate to destroy her reputation to get it. With Robert’s help, Lydia strives to keep her family’s good name intact and expose whoever is behind the devious plot. But as their investigation delves deeper and their affections for each other grow, Lydia starts to wonder whether her carefully planned future is in fact what she truly wants…

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The Long and Winding Road:

Cindy Anstey’s path to becoming a Published Author

My road to publication was not a straight path. I always knew books were in my future… but not in what capacity. I have been in love with the written word since I was in grade school—I blame my parents for reading to me as a toddler. My favorite haunts were, and always will be, libraries and bookstores.

While living in Montreal and Singapore with my husband and children, I concentrated on writing picture books. I thought combining my love of art and words would be my best creative outlet. And though I received many encouraging rejection letters, they were rejections none-the-less. My focus changed entirely when we, hubby and I, moved to Memphis, TN. Our children were in university (college), and I had larger chunks of time to devote to research and learning the craft.

My first full manuscript was a mystery/romance set in 1833. I revised it three times, joined the Romance Writers of America (RWA) and started submitting. I did all that was required—sent it out selectively, got the editor or agent’s name correct and waited. Most rejections were form letters—but not all. Halfway through my second ‘book’, I received a three-page letter from an editor suggesting changes to my first manuscript. I did not know that I could have made those changes and then resubmitted, likely with a more positive outcome. Live and learn.

As time went by, I found that I love writing books set in the 19^th century; I love combining history, mystery and humor; and I absolutely LOVE writing dialogue. Somewhere along the way I also realized that I greatly enjoy writing about that time in our lives when everything changes—when we stand on the cusp of possibilities. I discovered writing Young Adult!

I would like to say that was the end of my road to publication—I just had to find the proper niche. Ah no. I kept writing and moving. I was pleased when most of the industry went to digital submissions as sending a complete manuscript in paper form from Europe was expensive. During our last two years in Belgium, I no longer submitted… but I still wrote. It’s an addiction.

By the time we moved back to Canada, I was on manuscript number nine—yes, nine and they were a variety of mysteries, paranormal and Regency Romps. Perhaps not a wise move but I no longer had any expectation of ever being published. Then I read an article in the RWA magazine announcing a new YA website, a crowd sourced avenue to publication. Best of all readers could offer suggestions, stating their likes and dislikes. I dusted off number three, A Modest Predicament, and uploaded it with a cover I had designed. Three months later I received an email from the amazing Swoon Reads team. After a few revisions and a title change Love, Lies and Spies was born.

As to the ninth manuscript—I called it Carried Astray originally—it now goes by the fabulous title Duels & Deception and will be released on April 11, 2017.

Author Bio

Whenever she is not sitting at the computer, throwing a ball in the backyard, gardening or reading, Cindy can be found–actually, not found–adventuring around the world with her hubby.

She has lived on three continents, had a monkey in her yard and a scorpion under her sink, dwelt among castles and canals, enjoyed the jazz of Beale St and attempted to speak French.